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iPhone 5: Every iPhone Accessory You Own Just Became Obsolete

Do you own anything that plugs into the bottom of your iPhone? An extra charger? An expensive dock? An iTrip? Anything else? Tough luck – its days are numbered. Techcrunch is reporting that Apple is working on a new 19-pin adapter for the iPhone 5, replacing the old 30 pin connector the company has used since the third generation iPod.

The connectors offered structural stability when connecting to most accessories but it’s clear – especially with the introduction of the MagSafe 2 port – Apple is more concerned with space savings inside each device.

Looking back on it, it’s sort of amazing that Apple held on to the connector for as long as it did – the company moves fast with upgrades to all of its products, and yet that standard connector has remained consistent for generations of new gadgets. It’s led to a proliferation of iPhone docks around the world – docks that, with the new iPhone 5, will be on their way to obsolescence.

There will be a fleet of new new iPhone accessories available when the new phone comes out, and anyone dedicated enough to wait in line for a new iPhone on launch day isn’t going to waste time upgrading. The environment will suffer, like usual, but expect accessory manufacturers to make a mint after an uncomfortable transition.

This was most certainly coming, and there was never any reason to expect Apple to hang onto the same adapter for more than a decade. And somebody will make a 19-30 pin adapter, but we’re still going to see the industry move towards making everything for the new iPhones rather than the old ones. I bought an iTrip when I went on a roadtrip to a music festival eight years ago. It’s worked for me ever since. Next time I want to upgrade, I suppose I’ll have to say goodbye.

Ed. Note — the original version of this article did not mention a 19-30 pin adapter.

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The only reason Apple AGAIN decided to go with their own proprietory connector was money!

The micro-USB connector is a worldwide standard and can do everything the Apple connector can do, there’s no reason Apple isn’t using it. It’s pure GREED.

Europe has mandated that phones/tablets must use the micro-USB connector to save the consumer money. Apple, of course, gets a pass and doesn’t have to follow the rules. There’s nothing the Apple connector does that the micro-USB connector cannot do. Remember the days when you had to buy all new accessories/chargers every time you bought a new phone? The micro-USB standard put a stop to that.

Vote with your wallet. Why should you have to purchase new accessories or chargers or ill-fitting 30-to-19 pin adapters to make perfectly good docks/clocks/chargers/etc work with a newer version of the same phone?

If Apple had decided to use the micro-USB standard in the first place, this would never had been an issue.

These companies make more money on accessories than anything else. I doubt a new adapter was really necessary but what better way to pad your coffers than to make everyone run out and buy all new accessories? Corporate greed at its finest.

Isn’t this old news now? Why re-post an article from June? That new connector was needed to make the iphone smaller and will move the iPhone line into the future. All those other phones will look increasingly clunky and — guess what — they will all switch to a smaller connector, too.